Graduate Admissions

The MLA program admission committee considers applications from individuals with diverse backgrounds from within and outside the design professions who are looking shift their current career track or for those seeking to begin their careers in the allied disciplines of design and planning. In addition, the program offers excellent opportunities for practicing landscape architects to undertake advanced early- and mid-career training. The faculty is experienced in teaching a diverse student body of all skill levels. Students are offered the opportunity to tailor their coursework to their particular academic interests, and the program works to maximize each student’s experience within the Department, College, and University.

The MLA program offers two tracks: One, two-year track (MLA II), for applicants with a previous design degree in Landscape Architecture or Architecture, and another three-year track (MLA I), for applicants with little or no formal education and training within these disciplines. All applications are to the MLA program, in general, and the MLA Admissions Committee determines the track for each applicant based on a review of previous degrees and transcripts.

Candidates applying to the Master of Landscape Architecture program must apply to both the Graduate Admissions Office and the Department of Landscape Architecture by January 15 to be considered for admission the following autumn quarter.

Admission Requirements

The Graduate School requires:

A baccalaureate degree from an accredited United States college or university, or its equivalent in a foreign institution.

A grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 or better in the last 90 graded quarter hours or the last 60 graded semester hours.

A GRE (Graduate Record Examination) test score taken within the last five years.

A TOEFL test score, from International applicants, who have an undergraduate degree from a non-English speaking university.

Admission to the Master of Landscape Architecture program is a competitive process with priority given to applicants whose apparent abilities, as determined by the Department’s MLA Admission Committee, will enable them to complete the program expeditiously and with a high level of achievement.

Scanned Copy or Unofficial Transcript from all previous educational institutions

GRE (Official)

Scanned copy of GRE scores

TOEFL Scores (for International Students)

Scanned copy of TOEFL scores (if required)

Portfolio of creative works (under 30 MB, in PDF format)

On-Line Application fee of $85

All materials requested by the U of W Graduate School and the Department of Landscape Architecture, must be received no later than January 15th.

Transcripts

The U of W Graduate School only requires an unofficial copy of institutional transcripts at the time of application. If accepted to the program and University, an official set of transcripts will need to be provided to the Graduate School. However, for purposes of verification and program assignment, the Department requires an official set of transcripts at the time of application. The official transcripts need to be received by January 15th.

Graduate Record Examinations (GRE)

The U of W Graduate School and Department require the submission of GRE test scores taken within the past five (5) years. If an applicant already holds a graduate level degree, the test scores are not required. Test scores should be forwarded to the University of Washington from the testing center in which the test was originally taken.

The Masters of Landscape Architecture (MLA) program no longer accepts IELTS scores. If there is not a TOEFL test site in your area, please contact the Department to receive permission to take the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam instead.

The Department requires an unofficial documentation of test scores at the time of application. A scan or digital copy of the scores should be uploaded to the Graduate School application.

Portfolio of Creative Works

The portfolio is a collection of material indicating your creative capabilities, graphic proficiency, aesthetic, and environmental sensitivity. It can include all range of work that you consider best highlights your capacity for creative thinking and expression. The exhibits provided may be products from crafts, design studios, professional work, creative or informational writing, or any other material which indicates your professional potential. Briefly explain each exhibit with a clear indication of your contribution, when the exhibit includes a team project.

We now require portfolios to be submitted digitally as part of the Graduate School application. Hardcopy portfolios will only be accepted by applicants with an expressed difficulty for online access. With any hardcopy submissions, no original documents should be submitted. The Department is not responsible for portfolio materials.

The portfolio submission should not exceed 30MB in size and should be provided in a portable document format (PDF). If you wish to include web-design, animation, or video content, as part of the submission, provide links within the portfolio. Such content should be limited to no more than two links in addition to the portfolio.

Admission Decisions

You will be notified about your admission decision by email by May 1st. Please do not contact the Department regarding the status of your application prior to that date. If you have been offered admission, you will be asked to accept or decline the offer through the U of W Graduate School application. If you have received a fellowship offer, you will be receiving a separate email announcing your award details. For incoming students, be sure to mark your calendar for the New Graduate Student Pre-Orientation and Orientation programs in September.

Admitted Students

If you are admitted to the MLA Program and accept the offer, you will need to send your official transcript to the Graduate School. Please have it sent to:

Graduate Non-matriculated

Under certain conditions, the Department may offer enrollment in its graduate courses open to students outside the program to graduate non-matriculated students (GNM). The purpose of GNM enrollment is to allow qualified post-baccalaureate students to earn limited graduate credit in a particular area of need. Students may apply a maximum of 12 credits earned in this status to degree requirements should they later be accepted into a graduate degree program.

Students seeking GNM status must fulfill the University’s requirements, and contact the department’s Graduate Program Coordinator.

International Students

International applicants must first confirm their eligibility with the UW Graduate Admissions Office before applying to the Department of Landscape Architecture.

At the University of Washington, an international applicant is defined as:

One who is NOT a U.S. citizen, Permanent Resident, or Immigrant;

One who WILL require any type of visa to enter the U.S.

The following are minimum requirements for international applicants seeking admission to the Graduate Landscape Architecture program at the University of Washington. We welcome and encourage applicants from overseas. This process is not meant to discourage applicants but instead to assist you in making an informed choice about whether or not to invest the considerable expense and time required in submitting a complete application. You may receive additional information by sending an email message to intlgrad@u.washington.edu.

Requirements:

The equivalent of a 4 year U.S. bachelor’s degree. This is based on the following criteria: the country’s national system of education; type of institution attended; field of study; level of studies completed. Policies at other institutions may differ.

The University of Washington requires official certification of adequate financial support from each international applicant. Even if a graduate program is able to offer some funding, you may need to provide a portion of these funds personally.

Scores from the Graduate Record Exam (verbal, quantitative, analytical)

A minimum official TOEFL score is required unless you are a citizen of Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand or the United Kingdom OR you have earned a bachelor’s or higher degree from the U.S. or one of the countries listed above.

Veterans

Veterans and children of deceased or totally disabled veterans should follow the general procedures outlined for all applicants. Applications for, and questions about, government aid should be addressed to:

Housing

There are several dormitories and apartments in walking distance from Gould Hall (where most of the Landscape Architecture classes and the Main offices for Landscape Architecture are located.) There is also family housing options listed on the website and information for international students.